The short answer
The one published local number comes from the City of Sioux Falls. In September 2024 it put a typical ash removal by a licensed arborist at around $800 to $1,000, and said costs rise as emerald ash borer weakens the wood. Our 2026 ranges line up with that. A small tree under 30 feet runs about $300 to $700. A medium tree of 30 to 60 feet, which covers most yard ash, maples, elms and spruce, runs about $700 to $1,800. A big cottonwood or silver maple over 60 feet runs about $1,800 to $4,500. A tree that needs a crane runs about $2,500 to $7,500. Stump grinding is usually a separate line at $120 to $400.
Prices by job
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small ash, under 12 in across | $400 – $800 | Open yard |
| Typical yard ash, 12–24 in across | $800 – $1,600 | City's 2024 figure: about $800–$1,000 |
| Large ash over 24 in, or over the house | $1,500 – $3,500 | Rigged in sections |
| Dead or brittle ash | + 20% – 50% | Bucket or crane instead of climbing |
| Small tree, under 30 ft | $300 – $700 | Any species |
| Medium tree, 30–60 ft | $700 – $1,800 | Maples, elms, spruce |
| Large tree, over 60 ft | $1,800 – $4,500 | Cottonwoods, big silver maples |
| Crane-assisted removal | $2,500 – $7,500 | No room to lower pieces |
| Stump grinding | $120 – $400 | Per stump, below grade |
| EAB trunk injection, ash 10–25 in | $150 – $350 | City's range, every 2 years |
What moves the number
- Size. Height and trunk diameter set how much wood there is to cut, lower and chip.
- Condition. A living tree can be climbed and rigged normally. A dead ash is brittle, so it comes down from a bucket truck or with a crane, which costs more. The City says the same thing: removal costs rise as the beetle weakens the wood.
- What's under it. An open yard means the tree can be felled or dropped in big pieces. A tree over the house, the garage, a fence and the neighbor's yard comes down in roped sections.
- Access. A bucket truck that can reach from the driveway is fastest. A backyard behind a fence with a narrow gate means climbing and carrying.
- Power lines. A service drop in the tree may need Xcel to disconnect it first. Trees in main lines are the utility's job.
- Timing. Ash removal waits for Labor Day through Memorial Day unless the tree has failed. Storm-night emergency work costs more.
- Stump and cleanup. Grinding, hauling the chips and backfilling with topsoil are separate lines so you can choose.
Treat or remove: the ten-year math
For a healthy ash you want to keep, compare the two paths. At the City's $150 to $350 per treatment every two years, ten years of treatment is five injections, about $750 to $1,750 by our arithmetic. Removing the same tree now runs roughly $800 to $1,600, and later, once it's dead and brittle, more. For a healthy, well-placed tree, treatment often costs about the same as removal over a decade and you keep the shade. For a declining or poorly placed tree, removal now is cheaper than removal later. See the EAB guide.
What a real quote includes
A written, itemized price good for 30 days. It should show the removal (method, and crane time if any), stump grinding and its depth, haul-off or what's left on site, cleanup and raking, any permit (a boulevard tree needs the City's free removal permit), and the company's City arborist's license number and certificate of insurance. Sioux Falls Code § 94.060 requires both for anyone paid to trim or remove trees in the city, and the City warns residents to ask for proof of licensing and insurance and to be wary of door-to-door solicitors after storms.
Common questions
Why is the stump a separate price?
Because not everyone wants it ground, and because depth changes the price. Grinding for grass is shallower than grinding to plant a new tree. Boulevard stumps have to go 6 to 8 inches below grade.
Is a cheaper quote from a door-knocker OK?
Ask for a City arborist's license and a certificate of insurance first. Both are required for paid tree work in Sioux Falls, and the City specifically warns about door-to-door solicitors after storms.
Does the City ever pay for removal?
For ash on the boulevard, yes. The City removes parking-strip ash and grinds the stump for free under its EAB plan. Trees on your own property are yours to pay for.
Do you charge for estimates?
No. An estimator walks the property and leaves a written price good for 30 days.
Related: Ash tree removal · EAB treatment · Stump grinding · Insurance and financing